William Brown was back home in Apex city enjoying his vacation. 3 years ago, at the age of 20, he had graduated with a double doctorate in Architecture and Computer Engineering, though he only ever told everyone back home he got a post-grad degree in Architecture. In the past 3 years, he had been working in the highly reputable Scott Designs in Z city as the chief Architecture Engineer and had built a name for himself.
This summer, he resigned from his job to focus on his own company "AR Group". Before he got busy with work, he decided to spend 2 months at home and help his beloved cousin Ria with her wedding. But he told everyone that he had taken a cumulative leave of 3 years at once.
Since the day he was back, he had been spending his entire day working on restoring his house that he had secretly bought when he was 18 unless he was helping his cousin with something.
Tonight he had returned to the Brown family mansion utterly exhausted and ready to pass out as he had been doing for the past 2 weeks. But he could not sleep.
... Tring Tring...
Even before William picked up his phone, he knew it was Evan calling him out for a drink like he did every other day.
"Hey, Evan. Where's the party tonight?"
"Gee Will, did you get attacked by an alien tonight? How come you are asking where instead of refusing flat out?"
"Just give me the address." William ignored the jab.
"Friends bar."
William hung up without replying.
William went to the bar still in his two sizes too big t-shirt, loose trousers, unkempt hair, and tired face. Just a glance and you could tell he had come straight from the bed. As soon as he arrived, he saw Pete flirting with this average-looking petite girl.
William wondered why Pete-the flirt, changed his target today as he usually tended to flirt with the big-chested scantily dressed women.
The girl he was flirting with was flat-chested, casually dressed in denim, t-shirt, converse shoes, and had loose shoulder-length hair partially pinned on the back. He even wondered if the girl was underage and unconsciously frowned at the thought.
Moreover, the girl was constantly refusing him, but Pete kept on pestering, which was even weirder because Pete never bothered anyone who did not flirt back. At most he would try thrice.
Perhaps it was because of that, he could not take his eyes off the pair and the highly amusing banter that everyone seemed to be enjoying.
He saw Evan and the others waving at him two tables from the girl and her group but he ignored them and sat at the counter close to where Pete was to listen in.
"Oh, c'mon. I'm just asking for your number. I swear I won't call or text you".
"I don't want to give you my number. Please excuse us, Sir. "
"Uhm, I'm not that old. Don't call me sir. Please just tell me your number and I'll be out of your hair."
"Sir, please leave. I don't want to share my number."
"Alright, how about this, just tell me your name and I'll be out of here."
"Alright, my name is Anna. Please leave now."
"Hello, Anna. My name is Pete. Now that you are acquainted, how about we exchange contact details?"
".."
"Here let me give you a call."
"..." "Sir, please leave".
"Call me Pete, my name is not Sir. Are all beautiful ladies this respectful?"
"..."
"So, Anna, how about I buy you a drink?"
"..."
"Excuse me. A margarita for this pretty senorita please." winks
"..."
"Anna, is there anything else you'd like to drink? Don't be shy, we come here all the time."
William watched as the girl stared at Pete for a few seconds before she drew a deep breath, and smiled at Pete. She was a total stranger but somehow he could tell Pete was in danger.
A part of him told him to go and rescue his friend. But he impulsively wanted to watch what she was up to.